1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for providing a business information service, and more particularly, to providing an industry report.
2. Description of the Related Art
Small businesses frequently need to know if entering a specific market is a wise or risky proposition. They focus on sales and opportunity analysis. However, it is often difficult for small businesses to get the information they need. Conventional sources of gathering information are too slow. Some reports do not present information in an appealing manner and many do not cover the appropriate geographical regions. There is a need for a visually appealing industry report for small businesses that generates immediate impact and interest.
The industry report according to the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of conventional reports and quickly identifies the top players in the industry within particular geographic regions. The present invention provides a unique report that can be used to:                Analyze a specific industry        Find potential new customers        Find suppliers for goods and services        Identify competitors        Compare my business to an industryThe report according to the present invention is delivered in real-time with no more than 20 seconds required to retrieve and format the data for the report. The present invention also provides a report comprising graphical interfaces, which provide for the dynamic generation and streaming of charts and maps directly to the operator's browser. The reports according to the present invention are uniquely downloadable in a printable HTML version for easy printing.        